Kenya’s sports online gaming and betting company SportPesa have signed a multi-million-pound deal with English football club Hull City, that will see the name and logo of the betting company printed on the Hull City shirts, both home, away and third shirts. The deal will span a period of three years, from the 2016/2017 season, through to the 2018/2019 season. The betting company has established itself as a powerhouse in the local betting and online gaming industry, and they were evidently pleased with the deal, as they set their targets on improving football in Kenya, “SportPesa core values lie in improving community grassroots development, “they said in a tweet post after confirming the ground breaking deal, adding that they have their eyes set on Kenya’s participation in the 2022 world cup to be held in Qatar, “This is part of our campaign to have Kenya compete in the world cup for the first time in 2022.”
Hull city, who have been promoted to the first tier of English football after a season plying their trade in the Championship, are delighted with the deal, highlighting the fact that it’s their most lucrative deal in their history. Recognizing the vital position the company holds in Kenya and its rapid rise in popularity in Africa, Hull City Commercial manager Simon King was quick to applaud the deal, “SportPesa are so much more than a betting brand, this is a company with huge footprint across grassroots sport in Kenya, as well as the rest of Africa,” he said.
As part of the deal, the English club will play a friendly next year in Kenya against a select SPL team. The Chief Executive Officer of SportPesa Ronald Karauri, who was present to unveil the shirt, lauded the deal as a big milestone, as it marked the scaling of a Kenyan brand into the global market, “The SportPesa platform will now be available in the United Kingdom and later in the year present in several African countries. One year from now we will have presence in at least four continents’” he said. The company is also the main sponsors of the Kenyan Premier league.
